Campfield's bill hurts students

Sen. Stacey Campfield is trying to pass a bill that reduces Temporary Assistance for Needy Families payments if a child does not have satisfactory academic progress. This bill affects 154,653 of the 377,061 children in Tennessee who are living in poverty. Although I agree that something does need to be done about Tennessee's academic performance, this is not the answer.

Children in poverty face significant environmental factors that affect their learning abilities. By reducing their already limited resources, this bill will potentially subject the child to abuse and maltreatment. Instead, more funding should go into tutoring programs and school social workers in order to connect the child to more resources.

No child should be responsible for this type of responsibility. All children should have an equal opportunity to learn and thrive in a safe environment.

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Campfield's bill hurts students

Sen. Stacey Campfield is trying to pass a bill that reduces Temporary Assistance for Needy Families payments if a child does not have satisfactory academic progress.